Firefighters battle a pair of brush fires in northwest county

Division of Forestry firefighters took on a 96-acre blaze three miles north of Orangedale and east of County Road 13 Wednesday afternoon.

Three dozer units (with one firefighter each) and an official from the St. Johns River Management District were the first to respond.

St. Johns County firefighters were not working the fire.

By 4, two more dozer units were en route, but the fire was nowhere near being under control, said Division of Forestry radio dispatcher Walt Smith. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

''It could be a lightning storm,'' Smith said. ''However, we've had fires in that area that weren't caused by lightning.''

The fire was spawning at 300-400 feet, which means hot embers from the flames could start new fires at that distance as the wind carries them from the source, Smith said.

Around 8 p.m., the fire had been contained but was still burning, he said.

The fire was probably caused by a lightning strike, officials said.

No one from neighboring homes or businesses had to be evacuated.

It is not known how long the fire had been burning, but it could have been spotted sooner if forestry officials were still manning the fire tower by Durbin Creek, Smith said. Due to state budget cuts, the three county towers are no longer manned.

The fire could have been smoking, unnoticed, for two days, he said.

''It probably wouldn't be that big if we had people in the fire tower like we used to.''

Forestry officials were monitoring three smaller fires throughout the county as well, Smith said.

A second fire, located just south of State Road 208 near C.R. 13, burned five acres late Wednesday afternoon. Like the larger fire, it was most likely started by a lightning strike, Smith said.

The drought index for St. Johns County on Wednesday was 106, which meant that the county was experiencing moist conditions (dry conditions typically occur when the index is upward of 600.)

Officials from the county's Fire Service Administration could not be reached for comment.